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8. Ethnic Chinese and Ethnic Indonesians: A Love-Hate Relationship
- ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute
- Chapter
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137 8 ETHNIC CHINESE AND ETHNIC INDONESIANS: A LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP1 Natalia Soebagjo Almosttenyearsago,ethnicChinesebecamethesystematictargetand victimsofmassrioting.EveniftheMay’98riotswereincitedbyasyet unidentified“provocateurs”,theywouldnothavedevelopedsointenselyand soquicklyiftherewerenounderlyinganti-Chinesesentimentamongthe masses.2 Morethan10,000werekilled,includingnon-Chinese;primarily ethnicChinesewomenweregang-raped;andlossesofaroundUS$187.5 millionwereincurred,buttothisdaynodecisiveactionhasbeentakento followuponreportsandcallsforaccountabilitybytheIndonesianHuman RightsCommissionandotherNGOs.Theauthorities’disinterestinfinding outthetruthbehindtheriotsonlygivescredencetotheperceptionthatthe Chinesearedispensable. Hence,tobeabletobegintoresolvetheproblemoftheChinesein Indonesia,wehavetofirstacceptthefactthatthereremainssomeambivalence onhowthenon-ChineseandChineserespondtoeachother.Onecannot helpbutagreewithsocialscientist,DrThungYulan,whobelievesthat“the recognitionoftheexistenceoftheidentityof‘Chineseness’oftheethnic Chineseisthenecessaryfirststeptotake”,inanyattempttoaccepttheethnic ChineseaspartoftheIndonesianmake-up.3 Sofar,thepribumihaveonly beenabletodothisveryreluctantly. 08Ethnic.indd137 9/9/084:44:56PM 138 Natalia Soebagjo ThestudyofethnicrelationsinIndonesiaafterthefallofSoehartois nowcertainlymoreinteresting,ifnotequallycomplicated.Whereaspreviously alltalkonmattersrelatedto“SARA”,namelyethnicity,religion,race,and inter-groupdifferences,wasrepressed,inthecurrenteraofReformasiitis afree-for-all:anyonecansayanythingabouteverything,includingsubjects thatwereonceconsidereddivisiveanddangerous.Inthepost-Soehartoera ofopennessandfreedomofexpression,thepent-upprimordialsentiments lurkingominouslybehindIndonesia’s“unity”ofethnicdiversityandreligious fervourareletloose.Therefore,wearefacednotonlywiththeproblem ofcontinuingtensionbetweenethnicChineseandnon-Chinese,butalso ofinter-groupandintra-groupethnictensionandreligiousintolerance, suchaswhatwehavepainfullywitnessedinMaluku,inPoso,between theMaduraneseandtheJavanese,forexample.Ontopofthis,thereisthe problemofeconomichardshipandgapingsocio-economicinequality.Amidst allthisturmoil,theage-long“Chineseproblem”hasjustbecomeanother itemonthelonglistofproblemsIndonesiacurrentlyfacesandanitemgoing furtherdownthelist. ThisfreedomthattheIndonesiansarenowenjoying,however,came ataprice.AsSoehartobegantolosehisgriponpowerduetohisinability tounderstandorcontrol,muchlessinfluence,eventsswirlingaroundhim inthelastfewyearsofhisrule,oppositionforcesemergedcallingforhis resignation.4 Theanti-SoehartostudentmovementinMay1998inJakarta suddenlyeruptedintoanti-ChineseriotswhichshockedJakartanswhonever believedthattheviolencetheysawhappeningintheprovinceswouldoccurin thecapitalcity,leavingthousandsdeadandmorefleeinginfearandpanic. Hence,Soeharto’srulecamefullcircle.Hisriseandfallwerebothmarked byviolenceandbloodshed:the1965attemptedcoupusheredhisentrance, andthe1998Mayriotsescortedhisexit.EthnicChinesewerethetargeted victimsofbothepisodes. A LOOK BACK A consequence of 1965 was the continued nurturing of anti-Chinese sentimentswhichhadbeenfestering,insomeformorother,since1740when 10,000ChineseweremassacredinBataviabycolonialsoldiers,anddriven outofthewalledcity.Then,asin1998,theChinesequarterwasburntdown andshopswerelooted,andtheChinesefled. UndertheDutchcolonialsystem,thestatusofethnicChinesewas clearcut.Theywere“ForeignOrientals”,justlikethoseofAraborIndian descent,anotchormorebelowtheEuropeansandWesterners,butabovethe 08Ethnic.indd138 9/9/084:44:56PM [18.116.36.192] Project MUSE (2024-04-24 18:57 GMT) Love-Hate Relationship of Ethnic Chinese and Ethnic Indonesians 139 indigenouspeople.Afterthe1740ChineseRebellion,theirrolewaslimited tokeepingthecolonialeconomicmachinerygoing.Theywereorganized undera“kapitan...